Sauteed Sorrel

OK – so I just stumbled across sorrel at the farmer’s market and had no idea what to do with it, so I punted. Ok, that is a lie, I bought lamb’s quarter the same day, got them confused and followed a recipe of a friend for the wrong green – with AMAZING results. This green is like the most delicate spinach EVA with an amazing infusion of lemon. If you can find this, try it. Please. (BTW – you can also use these greens raw in a salad and it is awesome as well).

2 bunches sorrel

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

Heat olive oil and salt over a medium low heat in a heavy bottomed low wide pan. Stem sorrel. (In order to stem, you fold the leaves together so the part of the stem that protrudes slightly is exposed. You then take the stem in the other hand and pull up to remove the stem from the leaves. If that is not clear, email me and I will explain it in more detail!). Discard stems. Put leaves in heated oil. Cover and let heat for 30 – 60 seconds. remove cover and turn greens. Unlike most greens, sorrel will not turn a brighter green when cooked to perfection. Sorrel turns a dark color almost immediately – at which time you know it is done. Sauteing it only takes a minute or two. Pull it from the heat. Enjoy. It will be the consistency of spinach in spinach/feta pie – a little softer than most sauteed greens, but the flavor is so delicate and wonderful, you won’t care. I hope you find this green – it is glorious!

3 Responses to Sauteed Sorrel

One thing we found to do that had the kids eating it constantly was starting a garden with both sorrel and stevia plants. You take a few leaves of sorrel and a few of stevia and chew them together – it’s like you just ate a lemonade salad.

I had wild sorrel growing like mad in my garden at a high altitude in Colorado. For me, I had to pick it early as it got very bitter as the season went on. Also, sorrel has oxalates, so I believe it is best to have calcium in the stomach at the same time as eating if you are one who has ever had a kidney stone – 80% of kidney stones are calcium oxalate- so better to get those oxalates bound up in the stomach (and out they go, unabsorbed) rather then binding with calcium in the kidneys, which is a calcium rich environment. Different regions, varieties, and growing conditions will create different levels of oxalates also.
But all that is said with only a little caution, if one were to need it- most of us don’t. And how bad could a few times a year be for something so enjoyable as this!? I love it raw, chopped, and added to other greens, with fresh dill, feta, olives, black pepper and olive oil…I like mine practically swimming in the olive oil.